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Lucas: Missing Coach Smith

I don’t miss Dean Smith.

That seems strange to write. Today, it’s been a year since the legendary coach passed away. It was a where-were-you-when moment for a generation or more of Carolina fans, just like it was when his teams won a pair of national titles, or when he orchestrated a comeback from eight points in 17 seconds.

But he was so withdrawn from public life near the end of his life. It’s tough to miss someone who simply wasn’t around very much.

But at the same time, it feels like we’ve seen him regularly over this past year.